Branded
by angellwings
Summary: Natella/Jaitlyn. Jason and Ella do something unexpected for Caitlyn and Nate. three shot. For Ellyse.
1. Something Unexpected

**A/N: **So this is for Icing. It's her Valentine's Day present. She asked for a fic about Jason and Ella getting tattoos at the same time. So here it is! It's going to be a three-shot. Two more updates to come!

Happy Reading!

angellwings

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><p><em>Something Unexpected<em>

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><p>Jason yawned for what felt like the fifth time in the last hour. They were supposed to be recording but Nate and Caitlyn were having issues with the soundboard. At first, he'd tried to help but no one was listening to him so he sat down on the couch and decided to let them figure it out. Twelve o'clock rolled around and the door to the studio opened. Jason had never been so glad to see Ella in his life. Shane had been preoccupied with Mitchie and normally Jason could manage to distract Caitlyn to keep him entertained, but not today. Caitlyn and Nate were very competitive and they were determined to figure out what was going on before the other. There was no distracting Caitlyn today. At all.<p>

Ella noticed Caitlyn and Nate bickering in the corner and rolled her eyes. She immediately turned to Jason. "What happened?"

"Soundboard malfunctioned."

"And one of them thinks they know how to fix it better than the other, right?"

Jason nodded. "Isn't that how it always goes?"

"Hey, boyfriend!" Ella yelled to get Nate's attention. He was too busy arguing with Caitlyn to hear her. "Nate!" Ella huffed and glared at the other end of the room. "Nathaniel Josiah Gray!"

Nate's head immediately popped up and turned to find Ella. "Hey, Ells. What are you doing here?"

She sighed and gave him an expectant look. "Thank about it, Maestro."

His brow furrowed. "We don't have lunch pans till 12."

"Sweetie," Ella said with a chuckle. "It's 12."

"What?" He asked. "We haven't been here that long."

Jason cleared his throat and stood up. "Oh yes we have."

"Well, then I can't take a break now," Nate said with a sigh. "We're about two hours behind schedule. Sorry."

Ella's eyes darkened just a little but her smile never wavered. "That's okay. No big deal. Have you guys eaten anything at all yet?"

"Ella," Jason said with a chuckle. "They didn't even know it was lunch time. What do you think?"

"Alright, then I'll go pick something up," Ella said with a nod. "By the way, Nate, when I get back you're stopping to eat. I get that you're behind but there's no skipping meals. I don't care how much of a workaholic you are. What does everyone want?"

It was clear that Ella wasn't going to take no for an answer so they all agreed on sandwiches and gave Ella their orders for a small sandwich shop that was about five minutes down the road. Jason quickly volunteered to go with her since he wasn't doing anyone any good just sitting around the studio doing nothing. He had a member of security drive them so that Ella didn't have to give up her good parking space

"So," Ella said with a smirk. "Caitlyn's not keeping you entertained today?"

"No," Jason said with a huff. "She hasn't even tried to find time to sneak away and make out in a closet yet."

Ella laughed. "I'm sure once the soundboard is fixed she'll figure something out, Jase."

Jason shrugged. "It's fine, really. I'm just bored, and I'm not used to that."

He really wasn't looking forward to going back to the studio and doing nothing. He glanced out the window as they passed a row of shops and his eyes widened at the sight of one in particular. He patted the security guard's shoulder.

"Hey, man, can you park right over here against the sidewalk?"

Ella gave him a questioning look. "What are you doing? The sandwich shop is at the end of the street."

"I saw something," Jason said with a smirk as he opened the car door and pulled Ella out behind him.

He led her down the sidewalk and then stopped in front of one specific storefront. Ella gaped at it and then shook her head. "Oh no. No way."

"What?" Jason asked. "It's not like we don't have plenty of time. Nate and Caitlyn are no closer to figuring out the soundboard than they were this morning."

"Jason, I am _not _getting a tattoo," Ella said as she shook her head and stared at the tattoo parlor sign in shock.

"Oh, come on, you used to talk about getting one at camp all the time," Jason reminded her.

"Yeah, _talked_ about it. Besides, I no longer think a dolphin on my ankle would be cute," Ella told him.

Jason smirked. "Well, I'm getting one, and I know exactly what I'm gonna get." He looked to Ella and grinned evilly. "Once Caitlyn sees it she will never be able to ignore me again."

Ella blinked at him. "You're secretly an evil genius, aren't you?"

He winked at her. "It's why Caitlyn likes me so much."

Ella followed him inside the parlor and Jason immediately found someone to help him out. Ella listened to him explain that he wanted Caitlyn's name tattooed on him and Ella's eyes widened when he explained _where_ to the tattoo artist. Jason really was secretly evil.

Jason tugged down the top of his jeans and undid the top button and Ella immediately looked away. He motioned to an area of his pelvis _just_ below the top of his jeans. _Oh boy_, she thought. _Is this seriously happening_?

"Ella, really, you should get one," Jason said with a grin. "Even just a little one."

Ella bit her bottom lip thoughtfully. "A little one?"

That wouldn't be so bad. Especially if she kept it simple. She thought about Jason's idea of getting Caitlyn's name tattooed on him. A grin spread across her face. She nodded and looked at the female tattoo artist who had just finished with another client.

"I could do that," Ella said as she turned to the artist.

"So, what would you like?" The women asked. She was tall and slender and covered in colorful tattoos.

"Well," Ella said as she blushed. "There's this one spot on my shoulder that my boyfriend _really_ likes, and I was thinking – maybe – about getting his initials in cursive tattooed on it?"

The artist grinned and nodded. "Not a problem. Where is it?"

Ella bit her bottom lip and pointed out the spot just beside her collar bone. Only someone who was looking for it could see the hickey that had almost completely faded. "Right here."

The artist chuckled at her. "_Now_ I can see what's left of that hickey." She motioned for Ella to follow her. "Right this way."

Ella chuckled at herself as she passed Jason and muttered. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

Jason laughed and grinned at her. "Come on, Ella, live a little."

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><p>As they left Ella pulled her cardigan tighter and buttoned a few buttons to cover up the small bandage on her shoulder. Jason smirked and held the door open for her. He still had his top button undone and had tucked the bottom of his shirt in to cover his <em>own<em> bandage. They had to wait two or three hours before the bandages came off and then they had to carefully wash their tattoos to avoid peeling and infection. They'd also given them some sort of oil to rub on the tattoos to make sure the tattooed skin stayed healthy.

"Oh God," Ella said. "I just got a tattoo."

Jason smiled and nodded. "Yes, you did." Jason told the guard to head toward the sandwich shop as he closed the door behind him. "And now we're going to go pick up lunch and go back to the studio."

"I don't even know how Nate _feels_ about tattoos and I just got _his_ initials tattooed onto my shoulder. What if he hates it?" Ella rambled.

Jason chuckled and shook his head. "He won't."

"But what if he does?" Ella asked.

"Ella, trust me, he won't," Jason told her with a smirk. "Of this I am sure."

Ella giggled and rolled her eyes. "Leave it to you to quote Boy Meets World."

"Hey, you can learn a lot from Boy Meets World," Jason said as he playfully nudged her shoulder.

They parked outside of the sandwich shop and Ella noticed Jason's pants were still unbuttoned. She cleared her throat and immediately focused on his face. "Um, Jase. Your pants are still unbuttoned."

"Oh, right," Jason said as he quickly buttoned it. He winced as the top of his jeans pressed against he bandage. "That's gonna hurt for a while."

Ella chuckled. "Well, you did just have a needle dig into your skin."

"If I'd have known I was gonna do this at the beginning of the day I would have worn looser jeans."

Ella laughed. "You lie. You wear tight jeans anytime you see Caitlyn. That's how you tease her."

"How do you know that?" Jason asked.

"Because I listen to Caitlyn whine pathetically every time you wear tight jeans in public and she _can't_ jump you," Ella told him with a smirk. "I put two and two together."

Jason flushed as they got out of the car and headed into the shop to order everything. Once it was ready they headed straight back to the studio. They walked through the door and were immediately greeted with stares.

"Where the heck did you two go get lunch? _Nevada_?" Shane asked sarcastically.

"We made a stop," Ella said as she passed out the sandwiches. "It took longer than we thought."

Ella picked up hers and Nate's sandwiches and walked to the far corner of the studio. She placed the sandwich in his hand and the dragged him over to a couple of empty chairs. She made him sit and eat. He grumbled about it at first but Jason saw him smile fondly at her when she looked away from him. He grinned at the couple and shook his head. Ella was certainly determined to take care of Nate. She was the only person determined _and patient_ enough to stand up and see to that.

"Hey," Caitlyn said as she sat down next to Jason. She patted his knee and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry things have been so boring today."

Jason shrugged and smiled at her. "I've managed to keep myself busy."

"Well, I'm gonna convince Nate to call a technician and get us out of here. So, if you'll just hold on for a bit longer I'll get us some alone time," Caitlyn said with a smirk and a wink.

"Maybe you should leave the convincing to Ella," Jason suggested. "I'm sure she'd be more successful."

Caitlyn hummed thoughtfully as she unwrapped her sandwich. "You might be right about that."

As soon as Ella finished her lunch Caitlyn approached her and they had a quiet conversation. Ella nodded and grinned at Caitlyn. Caitlyn immediately grabbed Jason's hand and pulled him out the door.

"We're leaving before she even talks to him?" Jason asked.

Caitlyn shrugged. "Ella said she'd take care of it."

"So, where are we going?" Jason asked.

"To your place," Caitlyn said with a grin. "I know you like to be my distraction. Well, now you can be my distraction for the rest of the day."

He gulped and smiled. He didn't want Caitlyn to find out about the tattoo until the two hours he had to keep the bandage on were up. A bandage on his pelvis wouldn't be as impressive as the actual tattoo. "Hey, why don't we stop by the grocery store on the way? Get whatever you want to make for dinner tonight."

Caitlyn brightened and nodded. "Good plan. I think I want Super Mac." She winked. "I have tomorrow off and I think we'll need to carbo load." She chuckled at his blush and kissed his cheek. "Maybe we need some Gatorade too."

Jason cleared his throat. "That sounds…_great_. I'm, uh, looking forward to it."

Caitlyn smirked at him as he put his arm around her shoulders. She reached behind him and stuck her hand in his back pocket. "We should probably stock up for the weekend. I'd rather not have to leave for much. What do you think?"

Jason smiled evilly and nodded. "I think I'm not leaving my house till Monday."

Catilyn chuckled and leaned into him. "Maybe not even then, Birdman."

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><p>Nate finished his sandwich and then stood up to get started again. But he looked around and didn't see anyone. Where did everybody go? He turned and found Ella on the phone. She hung up and smiled at him.<p>

"Well, you're done for the day," Ella said brightly.

His brow furrowed. "What? Where is everyone?"

"I sent them home."

"What?" Nate asked. "Ella, once I get that soundboard fixed I'm going to need them here."

"Nate, you've been working on that soundboard all day. _You're_ not gonna be fixing it. I called a technichan," Ella told him. "They're on their way, but based on what I told them they don't think they'll have it fixed until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."

"Then we'll have to find another studio," Nate told her. "We're losing time here, Ells. There's a deadline."

"Nate, you all have the weekend off anyway. Make some calls over the weekend and book another studio for Monday. Take the afternoon off. Enjoy it," Ella said as she took several steps toward him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. "We can spend the weekend together. Just you and me. We haven't done that in _ages_."

"Ella," He said in a warning tone.

She smiled teasingly at him as she tightened her arms around him and pressed herself flush against him. "Think about it, Professor." She tugged gently on his curls and her lips hovered just above his as she spoke. "Just you and me. All day. For the rest of the weekend. No where to go, no one to bother us, and no reason to keep our distance." What she left out was, _"Like every other day of our lives when you insist we keep ourselves out of the public eye_."

The corners of his mouth just barely turned upward and his eyes fixated on her lips. "That _does_ sound nice."

She smiled warmly and ran her hands down the length of his arms. When she reached his hands she laced her fingers through his. Ella let out a sound that was something between a hum and moan. "It sounds more than _nice_, Nathaniel. It's just plain _tempting_, don't you think?"

He quirked a brow at her. "That would be a rather appropriate word."

"What do you think?" Ella asked. "We could barricade ourselves in your massive house all weekend and just _be_."

She felt the tension leave his body and heard him exhale. A certain sign that she had _won_. His eyes connected with hers and he licked his lips. He definitely looked ready to have her all to himself. Oh yes, she'd won. He started to lean in and she quickly pulled away. She smirked at him and tisked him with a shake of her head.

"Not in such a public place, remember?"

He glared playfully at her. "You set me up. You totally set me up."

She chuckled and winked. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

She let go of him and walked slowly toward the door.

He smirked and followed her with a shake of his head. "Tease."


	2. Caitlyn

_Caitlyn_

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><p>By the time Caitlyn and Jason had finished shopping and got to his house they'd used up the entire two hours. They brought in the groceries and while she put them away he made a run to the master bath in his bedroom. He washed his hands thoroughly and then used soap to wash the tattoo as he gently pulled off the bandage. He grabbed a few pieces of toilet paper and patted the skin dry. He took off his shirt and unbuttoned the top button of his pants and let the tattoo start to air dry like he was told. He needed to let it air out for fifteen minutes. He kept an eye on the door to make sure Caitlyn didn't come looking for him. He decided to go ahead and brush his teeth to kill time and then to go around and straighten up his bedroom. It was very sloppy and that's not the way he should <em>start<em> the weekend.

Again he kept a paranoid watch on the door just in case Caitlyn wondered where he disappeared to. Once the fifteen minutes was up he took the small bottle of oil out of his pocket and applied it to the tattoo. Once that was done he changed into a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. It might be suspicious but the skin was even sorer now than it had been before.

He made his way down the stairs and went back to helping Caitlyn put things away. She gave him a strange look.

"Where did you disappear to?"

"I, um, just wanted to change and straighten up my room a bit."

Her brow furrowed. "And you changed into sweats?"

"I'm at home. They're comfy."

"You could have just chucked _pants_ all together. You're adorable in your boxers," Caitlyn said with a wink as she handed him the milk to put away.

He chuckled and put the milk in the fridge door shelves. "I know you like undressing me." He said with an evil smirk. "I didn't want to take that away from you."

Caitlyn laughed and handed him the breakfast food that needed to be refrigerator. "You do know me well."

They put the last of the groceries away and Caitlyn looked down at her watch. "We've got a couple of hours to kill before dinner." She flashed an evil grin at him. "What could we possibly do to kill time?"

He grabbed her hand and led her toward his living room couch. "I don't know. Any ideas?" He sat down with a knowing smiled and pulled her down next to him.

"Oh, I've got a few."

Jason hummed thoughtfully. "Any I'd like?"

"Oh I think you'll like them all," Caitlyn said as she leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

She swung her legs over his and then pulled him down with her as she stretched out on the couch. He hands went into his hair and she simply ran her hands through his curls for a few moments. She loved his curls. They were a lot different than she ever expected them to be. They weren't wiry or dry. They were soft and smooth and so…_perfect_. Before she realized what he was doing Jason's head had dipped down to the crook of her neck and he'd firmly attached his lips to her skin. She sucked in a sharp breath and dug her fingers even deeper into those perfect curls of his.

He placed soft singular kisses down her neck until he reached the middle of her chest just above where the v-neck of her shirt stopped. He kissed her there and then looked up at her with a lazy smile.

"You still alive up there, Caity?"

"Barely," She said softly. "Don't you dare stop."

He chuckled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

He kissed her chest once more before he worked his way back up the other side of her neck. She felt his teeth drag across her skin as he reached the spot just below the hinge of her jaw. His lips stayed there for a while as he continued to kiss and suck and she just _knew_ it would be a lovely shade of reddish purple by the time he was done. She placed a hand under his chin and finally pulled his lips to hers. His arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her tightly against him as his tongue pressed against her teeth and forced her mouth to open. He growled into her mouth and Caitlyn felt goose bumps rise on her arms.

Caitlyn wrapped her arms around his neck and groaned as she felt his hands untucking her white v-neck from her skirt. His hands immediately dove under the back of her shirt and all thoughts of anything else but him immediately left her. Between his lips and his hands caressing her back and her stomach. He could pretty much do whatever he wanted right now. She'd officially melted into his couch. She was a big pile of warm goo. Her hands left his hair and moved down to lift the bottom of _his_ shirt. She dared to dip them just below the elastic waist of his sweatpants and the minute she did Jason hissed and pulled his lips away from hers.

It wasn't a shocked or eager wince. It was a wince of _pain_. She furrowed her brow at him. "Jase, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

He cleared his throat and sat up reluctantly. "I'm okay."

"Then why did you look hurt?" Caitlyn asked suspiciously.

"Just have a sore there, that's all," Jason told her.

She looked immediately concerned. "Let me see."

"it's just a sore, Caitlyn," Jason assured her. "it's purple like any other bruise."

She huffed and tugged on the waistband of his sweatpants again. "Then it shouldn't be a problem to let me see, should it?"

He sighed and allowed Caitlyn to tug down the waistline of his pants and boxers. She stopped once the tattoo was visible and gasped. There just below the waistband was her name in black ink and cursive.

"When—when did you…I—_why_ did you…"

He smirked at the shocked look on her face and her inability to form a coherent sentence.

"I got that _today_, and I got it because I thought you'd like it," Jason told her with a grin.

Caitlyn's brow furrowed. "But what if we…break up?"

Jason looked thoughtful for a moment. "Huh. Honestly that thought never occurred to me."

"Never occurred to you?" Caitlyn asked in shock. "Not _once_?"

He shrugged. "Why would it? We're not going to break up."

"We're not?" Caitlyn asked.

Jason shook his head. "Nope. This is it, Caity. No going back."

"No going back," Caitlyn repeated nervously. "How can you be so sure of that?"

"Because, Caitlyn, I _love_ you. I think I always have," Jason told her.

She bit her bottom lip and glanced at him shyly. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly before she leaned into his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck. She immediately began kissing his neck and worked her way toward his ear. She smirked at him and then gently nibbled on his ear. He sucked in a breath as she kissed and sucked on his earlobe. She could feel the goose bumps on the back of his neck. She placed a soft kiss just below his ear before she started kissing along his jawline. She kissed just below his bottom lip and then finally pressed her lips against his aggressively. She nipped at his bottom lip until his mouth fell open and she returned to kissing him deeply. She moved to straddle his lap and Jason's hands rested on her waist. Her hair surrounded them like a curtain as she held herself above him and angled her face downward. Jason's hands moved and slipped under her shirt. He kept his hands around her waist but she could feel his calluses, and the way his thumbs slowly ran across the skin on her stomach was driving her crazy. His hands moved again. Now they were on her back and quickly making their way upward.

She moaned and tugged at his shirt. She pulled away slightly and gave him an intense look. She could tell she threw him off by suddenly pulling away. She'd heard him growl softly. "The shirt needs to come off now, Jase."

His features relaxed and he grinned at her. "So, we've reached that point already, huh?"

She rolled her eyes and glared at him playfully. "Shut up and strip, Birdman."

"As you wish, Lady Caity," He said with a chuckle. "I take it you like the tattoo."

"You have my name forever inked on your body, Jason. That level of commitment is totally a turn on," Caitlyn said with a genuine smile. "Now, _strip_ so I can have my way with you."

He chuckled and nodded. "Not gonna argue with _that_. But you have to return the favor."

"Oh, trust me, Tat-man, when I'm finished with you you'll owe _me_ favors," Caitlyn said as she helped him removed his shirt and tugged it over his head.

"Your turn," Jason said as he threw his shirt aside.

She chuckled. "So this is how you wanna do it? Turns?"

"Fair is fair," Jason said with a wink as he watched Caitlyn slowly lift the hem of her shirt. Once it was over her head Jason wasted no time capturing his lips with hers. He was kissing her aggressively and his hands seemed to be _everywhere_. It was absolutely thrilling.

"Oh, God, I love you," Caitlyn said as he pulled his lips away from hers and moved them to her throat. Jason froze as his lips touched the middle of her chest.

"What did you say?" Jason asked quietly as he lifted his face to look her in the eyes.

She blushed and smiled unsurely at him. "I love you."

"Glad to hear that," Jason said with a contented sigh. "When you didn't respond I kind of worried I'd said it too soon."

"No," She said honestly. "You're timing was perfect."

She smiled brightly at him as she felt him relax. She lowered her lips to his chest and started to kiss her way downward.

"Caitlyn? What are you doing?"

"I'm going to conduct a thorough inspection of your tattoo. Do you mind?" Caitlyn asked with an evil smirk.

Jason cleared his throat and flushed. "No, no. Don't mind one bit."


	3. NJG

_NJG_

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><p>Ella convinced Nate to let her go home and pack a bag before she came over to his place. This was a great way for her to waste time until she could take her bandage off. By the time she arrived at her apartment she had a half an hour before she could take off the bandage and wash the skin to keep away an infection. She took her time gathering everything she thought she would need for the weekend. She turned to her bed and smiled softly at the small collection of stuffed animals. One of them she'd had since childhood and the others she'd acquired over the years. All but the one she'd had since she was a baby were from Nate. Even before they'd dated he'd given her stuffed animals for her birthday, but never in front of the gang. She probably should have seen the signs of Nate's feelings <em>long<em> before she actually did.

She picked up her favorite plush and smiled wistfully at it. It was the one Nate had given her for her birthday just weeks before he'd worked up the courage to ask her out. It was a triceratops - a bright blue triceratops in pajama pants and a t-shirt that said 'I only bite if you're green and leafy.' He'd pulled her aside after her birthday party and handed her the bag. She'd been expecting it because he did the same thing every year, but she hadn't been expecting a dinosaur. She never really mentioned her dinosaur obsession to anyone, but she doodled them a lot and always wore a couple of dinosaur shaped Sillybands (she also had some sterling silver stegosaurus studs that she wore for special occasions). The fact that Nate had noticed something so small about her was what finally made her admit to herself she had some _serious_ feelings for him.

Now it was nearly two years later and they were still dating. And it was still a secret to anyone outside of their circle of friends. But that was Nate. He was immensely private and had a hard time openly expressing his feelings. She'd known that from the start, and so she just had to be patient. He'd break sometime and then she wouldn't be able to _keep_ him from talking about their relationship. It was his pattern. When he broke it was like a dam that had finally overflowed.

_Feelings everywhere_.

She packed the triceratops in her pink duffel, and then pulled out her travel make up bag. She pulled the essentials out of her aluminum train case and stuffed them in the much smaller bag. She put that in her bag as well and stared at the clothes she'd already packed. Casual clothes and casual pajamas. She looked up and stared at her top dresser drawer where she kept her lingerie. Should she?

Nate liked her lingerie but she knew he much preferred seeing her in one of his t-shirts or one of his nice button ups. She bit her bottom lip for a moment and then smirked. Still, it was nice to shake things up every now and then. And that's when she had an idea. She grabbed her newest lingerie that she hadn't found the right opportunity for. It was a cut out teddy from Victoria Secret.

And by cut out teddy she meant a skimpy bra and a skimpy bikini cut bottom connected by a long strip of pink lace and a few small bows. She could wear it under her clothes and Nate would never know. Not until she _wanted _him to anyway. Yes, that was the winner.

She put it on and before she covered it up with her clothes she realized her two hours were up. She immediately washed her hands and used soap and water to wash off the bandage adhesive and then wash the tattoo itself. She finished packing other things she thought she'd need: hairdryer, robe (the sexy one _and_ the practical one), and her Rugrats Reptar slippers. The fifteen minutes of air drying ended and she applied the oil. She gave her skin a moment to absorb it before she put a pair of skinny jeans and a pretty loose fitting teal blouse with three-quarter sleeves over her lingerie. She let her hair down so it would fall across her shoulders and then smiled at her reflection.

Nate wouldn't know what hit him.

There was a knock at her door and she knew it was Nate. She grabbed her duffel and her purse and ran to the door. She ripped it open and beamed at Nate. "Well, hello." She shoved her duffel into his arms and kissed his cheek. "Are you ready for this weekend, Mr. Gray?"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm and nodded. "You mean, am I ready to be locked inside my house with you all weekend? Probably not, but I'm positive it'll be worth it."

_You have no idea_, Ella thought with a smirk. "Well, then let's go, Nathaniel."

She took his hand and dragged him down the hall toward the door to the stairs. The stairwell led directly to the below ground parking garage and was the best way for the two of them to leave without the risk of being seen by any paparazzi. Once they'd gotten in his car and headed toward his house Ella took his hand that wasn't on the wheel and held it in hers.

"You seem to have mellowed some since we left the studio," Ella said with a grin. "Have you accepted the fact that you'll be stuck with me for the rest of your workday?"

"Ella," Nate said with a warm smile before he kissed the back of the hand he held. "I may love my work, but I'm _always_ going to love being with you _just_ as much. So, don't say that like you're thinking I'm making some huge sacrifice. You were right earlier. It's been too long since we've had time just for us, and I've been looking forward to it since you brought it up. Promise."

She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled brightly at him. Sometimes she worried she bugged Nate. She was much more excitable than he was and he was a person that was sometimes very hard to read. She never really knew what he was thinking. It was something she loved and feared. But Nate was _very_ good at reading her. He knew she had those issues and never failed to reassure her how much he _really_ cared.

"I'm sorry I've been so wrapped up in the album lately," Nate said as he glanced away from the road for a second to look at her.

Ella squeezed his hand and shrugged. "It's okay. You have a deadline and if anyone understands working against a deadline it's me."

"You know, there aren't many other girls out there as understanding as you, Ells," Nate told her with a grin. "I really love that about you."

She blushed and chuckled. "God, okay, I get it. You feel guilty about skipping out of our lunch plans and throwing a tantrum about the soundboard. You are really good at getting out of trouble with _flattery_, you know that?"

He laughed and shook his head. "But it's all true, Sparkles." He winked at her adjusted his hold on her hand. "Every bit of it is _true_."

She laughed lightly and shook her head. "I love it when you call me that. Always have."

"Then I guess we're even."

"Why's that?" Ella asked curiously.

"Because I secretly love it when you call me Maestro," Nate admitted with a grin.

They finally made it to his house and Nate pulled into his garage before he turned off the car and closed the garage door. He'd discovered early on that having a garage was a great way to stay out of view of a telephoto lense. He and Ella both got out of the car and Nate got her duffle out of the backseat. He unlocked the door that led from his garage to his kitchen and held it open for her. He followed her inside and shut the door behind him.

Ella took her bag from Nate and they both headed upstairs to the master bedroom. Ella set her bag down at the foot of Nate's bed and then pulled out her travel bag and make up bag. She took those to the bathroom and set them next to Nate's second vacant sink. For a man who'd been single when he bought this house it was certainly _built_ for two. It took her a few minutes to get her things arranged in the bathroom, and when she came out she found a much more relaxed _shirtless_ Nate. He'd changed into jeans and she noticed he was holding a t-shirt in his hand, but he hadn't put it on yet.

Ella gulped and stared at his chest. "Oh my. Hello, abs."

Nate laughed at her. "Nice to know they're appreciated."

"Oh, they are. They definitely are."

She sat down on his bed and then stretched across it as she watched Nate slip on the t-shirt. She really wished he'd just leave it off, but Nate wasn't the type to just randomly walk around shirtless. Once his shirt was on he joined Ella on the bed and lay down beside of her. He rolled onto his side and propped his head up with his arm. "So, what do you want to do tonight?"

"Nothing really," Ella said as she smiled at him.

"So, we're just going to lay here and stare at each other all night?" Nate asked with a smirk.

She quirked a brow at him. "Hopefully we'll be doing a little more than staring, Nathaniel."

He chuckled. "Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"And what _exactly_ are you hoping for?" Nate asked as he leaned closer to her.

Ella turned onto her side as well and faced him. She slipped her arms around his midsection and pulled him closer. He wrapped his arms around her as well and rolled over onto his back, taking her with him. She was stretched out on top of him and she slowly reached up and dug her hands into his curls. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as she ran her hands through his curls and across his scalp. It was so…soothing to have Ella's hands gently caressing his scalp. The headache that had just barely lingered since the soundboard stopped working this morning suddenly vanished. Ella knew that was something that relaxed him and anytime she sensed he needed it she would massage his temples or run her fingers through his hair. It never failed to succeed.

She moved her hands to rest on the nape of his neck and Nate gave her a curious look when she stopped. She smirked at him and slowly ran her thumbs across the skin on his neck. "Feel better?"

"How did you know?" Nate asked. "I didn't say anything."

"You had a stressful morning. I guessed."

He leaned toward her and attempted to kiss her but she turned her head and he got her cheek instead. He groaned in frustration. "That's the second time you've backed out of kiss, Ms. Pador."

She chuckled and winked at him. "I know, isn't it just driving you _crazy_?"

He glared at her suspiciously. "Oh, I see what you're doing now. You're _trying_ to push my buttons. Aren't you?"

Ella looked thoughtful and then smiled knowingly at him. "Maybe."

She started to lift herself up and return to her side of the bed but Nate tightened his hold on her. "No you don't. You're staying right where you are."

"Really? And how do you plan on keeping me here?" Ella asked in a challenging tone.

Ella squealed in surprised when Nate suddenly flipped her on the bed and reversed their positions. Now _he_ was laying on top of _her_. Before Ella had fully registered what had happened Nate had already started attacking her neck with kisses. His arms tightened around her waist and her hands went back to his hair and she grasped his curls.

Ella gulped and sighed contentedly. "Good plan," She gasped out.

Nate chuckled against the crook of her neck as he continued to kiss as much of her skin as he could. He reached a familiar spot and then stopped.

Ella wiggled underneath him and whined. "Na-_ate_. Don't stop now."

"Ella, are you aware that my initials are permanently inked on your shoulder? On a spot that still bears what remains of a hickey?" Nate asked in an eerily calm voice.

Ella's eyes widened. She'd forgotten. "Oh!" She blushed and glanced down at Nate as he stared at the tattoo on her shoulder. "I—um—had it done earlier today."

Nate gave her a blank look and Ella immediately groaned pathetically. She hated his blank looks. They told her absolutely _nothing_. She couldn't tell whether he was internally judging her or moved beyond words. So she did what she always did when he gave her blanks looks.

She rambled. "I, you know, thought it would be romantic. It's like it's your spot and no one else can touch it, you know? But, um, if you don't like it I can call my dermatologist or something and figure out how to have it removed." He continued to stare at her so Ella kept talking. "I mean, I'm sorry. I guess—I guess I just wanted some sort of symbol that this was a _real_ thing. I mean I can't tell anyone other than our immediate circle of friends who my boyfriend is even though I really _really_ want to, and not because you're famous or anything…just because…well, I love you, think you're amazing, and want to show you off. But I can't! So I thought that tattoo would be a great way to express some sort of _public_ sign of commitment without being too obvious, you know? And I don't know how you feel about tattoos. I know they're a touchy subject and some people hate them, but…it's _tiny_ and I can cover it up when I need to." She paused and took a deep breath. "Please don't be mad at me over this. _Please_?"

He looked back down at the tattoo and gently ran his thumb across it. He suddenly placed a soft feather light kiss against the tattoo. Ella sucked in a breath as Nate buried his head in the crook of her neck and kissed her intensely for several moments. He was definitely going to leave a hickey over her tattoo if he kept going. Once he was done he kissed up her neck and along her jaw before he met her line of sight. He smiled warmly and shook his head. "I'm not mad. Why would I be mad?"

"I—I don't know. You weren't giving me any clues as to _what_ you were thinking and I tend to assume the worst when you just _stare_ at me," Ella said with a sigh. He felt her relax in his arms and then leaned toward her to kiss her lips.

"I'm sorry," Nate said sincerely. "I'm sorry that we've kept this a secret for so long. I mean, we've been dating for two years. That's longer than most couples in this town stay _married_."

Ella chuckled softly and nodded in agreement.

"So, honestly, we probably should have gone public a _while_ ago, but…I was trying to protect you," Nate told her. "Sure Connect Three's fans are great, but they can be a little crazy sometimes. Especially about girlfriends and I didn't want to expose you to that."

Ella smiled affectionately at him. "And I love you even more for that, but we can't keep this a secret forever, Nathaniel. They'll find out sooner or later, and wouldn't you rather they hear it _directly_ from you?"

"Why are you so smart?" Nate asked with a huff. "When we have differing opinions you usually turn out to be right."

Ella laughed softly and kissed him. "Because you border on being anti-social and don't quite know how to interact with other people."

"Gee, thanks," He said dryly.

"So…you like the tattoo?" Ella asked shyly.

Nate smirked at her and nodded. One of his hands slyly started to undo the buttons on the front of her blouse as he spoke. "I _love_ it." Once he popped the third button his eyes widened and Ella had to hold back her laughter. "Um, _what_ are you wearing under here?"

Ella finally let out her laughter and winked at him. "Just a little belated Valentine's present for you."

He gulped as he caught sight of the strand of lace that ran across the length of her stomach. "Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack? First, the tattoo and then…_this_?"

Ella winked at him. "Just trying to keep things interesting, Nate."

"Well, you succeeded," Nate said as he licked his lips and undid the very last button. "You _most certainly_ succeeded."


End file.
